Welcome back to Sound Bite! This is a very special issue to me, as it officially marks the halfway point in what I consider to be Sound Bite’s ultimate journey. When I started this column, it was mainly an excuse to cover the Kendrick and Drake beef that happened just about a year ago, but now it’s become so much more.

But for now, and for this extra special 25th issue, I am going to be doing a comprehensive look back at every Sound Bite of the past and ranking the top 5 albums Sound Bite has ever reviewed.

Starting with number five, we have “WE DONT TRUST YOU” by Future and Metro Boomin. To put it simply, there would be no Sound Bite without this album, there would be no Kendrick Lamar halftime show without this album, there would be no “Not Like Us” without this album and Drake would be way happier without this album. It holds up, it has great hits, and its impact cannot be understated.

At number four, we have “KING OF THE MISCHIEVOUS SOUTH” by Denzel Curry. This album is amazing. Denzel Curry is able to master any flow he ever tries to take over and on this album, he captured that grungy SoundCloud era of rap in a way I just haven’t heard anyone able to do in so long. This album has practically zero misses, and if you haven’t had a chance to listen to it, I could not recommend it higher.

Next up, we are going to have “Chromakopia” by Tyler, The Creator. It’s hard to talk about modern hip-hop without hearing the name Tyler, The Creator thrown somewhere into the conversation. Now, my hot take about this album is that it’s actually his best work yet. From his lyrics to his production, everything about this project works together to create a comprehensive piece of art that we rarely get to see nowadays, and I love every second of it.

In second place, we have “GNX” by Kendrick Lamar. Now, to be fully transparent, I was actually fairly torn between whether to give “GNX” or “Chromakopia” the second place slot just due to personal taste, and while I do think “Chromakopia” serves as a more artistic album, “GNX”’s cultural impact cannot be understated. From “squabble up” to “tv off” this album is jam-packed with hits and you’d be hard-pressed to find a single station not currently talking about Kendrick Lamar.

And in first place, the best album Sound Bite has ever had the privilege of reviewing is “Cowboy Carter” by none other than Beyoncé herself. This album is a country masterclass, and there’s a reason it won the Grammy. I have not stopped listening to this album since it came out, and the vocal/emotional prowess Beyoncé showcases on this project is unlike anything I’ve heard before. Please give it a chance if you haven’t listened to it yet, I promise you will not regret it.